Tell Me A Story
by SoSaysL
Summary: An impatient Kaoru, desperately needing entertainment, decides that Kenshin should tell her a story. "There was that one time I hid at a brothel after an assassination and managed to sneak by the police disguised as a lady," Kenshin offers. Well, this should be interesting.
1. Tell Me A Story

FYI: Apparently, Kawakami Gensai, the historical figure that Kenshin was modeled on, hid out at a brothel after an assassination and was said to look so feminine that he could pass for one of the girls. (According to TV Tropes, that is.)

Also, this is written solely for entertainment, meaning be prepared for possible OOC-ness, especially from Kaoru (who isn't _that_ impatient)

**Tell Me A Story**

* * *

"Kenshin!" Kaoru called. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to go fishing, that I am," Kenshin replied serenely.

"Wait!" Moments later, Kaoru came rushing out of the dojo. "I want to come!"

Kenshin looked at her, surprised. "You do?"

"Of course!" Kaoru folded her arms. "I've never seen you fish! I'm sure it's very exciting!" She paused, half-smiling at a mental image of Kenshin wrestling down an enormous silver fish. "Besides, Yahiko is starting to wear on my nerves. He's so _immature_."

"Am not!" Yahiko's indignant voice came from within the dojo.

"Are too!" Kaoru returned in his general direction. "He won't stop calling me ugly!"

"Ugly, ugly, ugly!" Yahiko taunted, and Kaoru's face became stormy. As he continued, she began to roll up her sleeves menacingly. "Why would I want to take lessons from such an ugly girl? Hah! I'd rather—"

Kaoru started towards him, but a gentle hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Uh, Kaoru, I think we'd best get going!" Kenshin said, hoping to avoid a conflict between the two.

"Right." Kaoru marched away from the dojo. "I won't let silly old Yahiko bother me!"

Kenshin watched as she strutted away before finally blurting, "You do know that the lake is…uh, actually in the opposite direction?"

"You IDIOT, why didn't you tell me?"

"Oro?" Kenshin blinked. "I just did."

* * *

It was only once Kaoru had plopped herself down next to Kenshin, drummed her fingers on the vibrant grass, counted the clouds, and stared out across the calm blue waters that she realized that fishing was _boring_. Of course, she waited, patiently by her standards, for some fish to take the bait. No such luck. Where was the giant squid? What about the shark that would suddenly rear out of the water and attempt to eat her (of course, Kenshin would rescue her just in time) or even a couple of jellyfish? Eels? Schools of rainbow fish?

At this point, Kaoru would have done _anything_ to see even one fish.

Kenshin seemed satisfied enough to just sit there, a contented smile on his face, lightly holding the fishing rod as if catching a fish couldn't be less irrelevant. Kaoru suppressed the restless feeling building within her. Kenshin was laid-back, she knew, but how could he sit still for so long? It had been _at least_ an hour since they had arrived.

"Miss Kaoru," Kenshin said, his voice easygoing as he watched shallow waves ripple across the silvery water, "It's been fifteen minutes, I see. Would you like to return to the dojo? Don't worry, I'm sure I'll catch some fish for dinner tonight."

_He thinks I can't even wait for longer than fifteen minutes!_ Kaoru thought, with a flare of indignation. Possessed by an urge to prove him wrong, Kaoru forced herself to calm down and let a deep breath out. How could she pass the time? She couldn't sit here and do nothing, of course. There was no way.

Suddenly, inspiration struck.

"Kenshin, tell me a story." _  
_

"What kind of story?" He asked, as if her request was the most natural thing in the world.

"An interesting story," she answered brightly. After a moment of thought, she added, "And I want it to be a _true_ story. About _you_."

For a moment, she feared that he would graciously decline, but instead he remained motionless, his tranquil gaze never leaving the waters. "I would have thought you'd have seen your fair share of entertaining moments involving me by now, Miss Kaoru."

"Kenshin," Kaoru sighed wistfully. Later, she would realize that his name was quickly becoming the most-used word in her vocabulary.

"Yes, Miss Kaoru?"

"Can't you please tell me a story?" She asked, her voice betraying impatience.

Kenshin, evidently thinking, gave no reply.

_'But I have to be entertained!'_ she wanted to say. Instead, she heaved a sigh. He was right; she should return to the dojo. Obviously, she wasn't meant for boring activities such as fishing. No giant squid or shark attacks? Not even a single fish? Well, Kaoru wasn't going to be a part of it.

"There was that one time I hid at a brothel after an assassination and managed to sneak by the police disguised as a lady," Kenshin offered, sensing her disappointment. "I doubt that qualifies as funny or overly interesting, though. Would you still like to hear—?"

"Yes, yes!" Kaoru exclaimed. Any story would do. And this one seemed to be rather intriguing. "Wait. You actually _disguised yourself as a woman_ to escape? When was this again?"

"I don't know if this is a good story to tell—" Kenshin began, but Kaoru quickly interrupted him once more.

"Of course it's a good story!" She laid down in the grass, arms folded behind her head, smiling sweetly at the sky. "I can't say I'd ever imagine you doing such a thing, though."

"I was quite different at the time…"


	2. The Battousai, In Danger

[Edit] Updated to include Kenshin being mistaken for a cross-dressing woman.

**The Battousai in Danger**

* * *

"So, how old were you back then?"

"Fifteen. No cross-shaped scar on my cheek. It was perhaps six months before I met Tomoe."

* * *

The Battousai's eyes, lethal and golden, surveyed his surroundings. An odd chill hovered in the air, and the streets were strangely quiet. Dusk had just fallen, and it was twilight hour - that time when the sky was tinted with an eerie shade of blue and new shadows had fallen like nascent demons on the ground.

This job had been one that only _he_ could have carried out; the high-ranking target, fearful of his safety, had hired an army of master swordsmen and gunmen as bodyguards. The Battousai was no stranger to the demanding task of wiping out hundreds by himself, but inevitably he had wearied.

Yes, the job had been accomplished. Yes, the target was now dead, slain without mercy after the deaths of his protectors. And yet, the Battousai had been gravely wounded. His fingers clutched desperately at the gaping laceration across his chest, attempting to staunch the flow of blood.

It was his fault. He had been overconfident after he had killed the target. Believing that the task was done, he had allowed his guard to drop for that single instant. Sensing his unpreparedness, a swordsman had leapt from behind a door, surprising the fatigued Battousai with a well-aimed slice across his chest. The attack had connected, searing blood in its path.

* * *

"Oh no!" Kaoru sat upright, fully absorbed in the story. She leaned forward, head resting on her hands, and watched him with worry. "You were hurt!"

"Yes, I was," Kenshin nodded, calm as ever. "It took all the strength I had to escape, that it did."

"That's terrible!" Kaoru exclaimed. "I'm so sorry!"

"Don't be. I might have deserved it."

* * *

The Battousai knew that he would soon attract attention. A swordsman, bruised and dripping with blood, could not evade notice. After the assassination of such a high-ranking target, the streets would soon be swarming with police with one intent only: bringing the killer to justice.

The streets remained empty, scarcely a person in sight, and the Battousai swore under his breath. He couldn't blend into the crowd, for there was no crowd. If he remained here, at such a close distance to the place of the assassination, the police would find him for sure. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, but right now he was in no shape to take out more than fifty... He desperately needed a safe haven, or in the very least a place to hide.

Suddenly, a fresh wave of pain shot through the Battousai, and he abruptly dropped to his knees from blood loss. This wasn't good. He remained crouched for a couple more seconds, trying to ignore the weariness descending on his shoulders and the agony coursing through his body.

Feeling a watchful gaze with his practiced intuition, he looked up. A shadowy figure stood about fifteen buildings away, barely visible, and yet the Battousai knew that exactly who that was.

_A policeman, who darted once more into the darkness._

His time was running out.

* * *

"You know, I'd always thought that you never got wounded, that you always escaped without difficulty," Kaoru said, sounding concerned. "But here, first you get slashed across the chest and lose a horrendous amount of blood, and then you're all alone with no help, and now a policeman sees you!"

A new thought came to mind, and she smiled. "I wish I had been there! I would have done whatever I could to help you!"

Kenshin was dubious as to how much she would have been able to help, but, eager for her contentment, he smiled and nodded. "I'm sure I could have used your aid, Miss Kaoru."

"But now you're all alone, and it's getting to be nighttime...being an assassin must be really scary."

"It's especially frightening when you realize that I was weary after fighting hundreds of master swordsmen," Kenshin observed, becoming serious. "If a group of swordsmen had attacked me then, it was only a matter of time before I collapsed from exhaustion."

"Oh, Kenshin!"

* * *

The Battousai forced himself to stand, and with what remained of his strength he sprinted away. He didn't have much time before a squad of armed policemen swept this area, looking for a swordsman who matched his description.

Leaning against a wall, he paused to catch his breath and consider his options.

"Miss!" A female voice cried, "What in the world are you doing in those men's clothes!"

* * *

Kaoru barely restrained her laughter. "Oh, Kenshin! You mean to tell me that she actually mistook you for a _girl_?"

"I avoided thinking about it at the time," Kenshin said humbly, "but the truth is that I was much more feminine than I would have liked to admit." He seemed to have come to terms with this statement, and treated the subject with a humorous self-depreciation.

"And why is that?"

"For one thing, the way I walked. I had a very light tread that was suited for vanishing into the night, making my footsteps unheard and my shadow unseen. It's perfect for an assassin, but it's not really that masculine."

"I think it is!" Kaoru blurted, and immediately mentally smacked herself on the forehead.

"Why, thank you Miss Kaoru!" Kenshin smiled happily, oblivious to the slight flush rising on her face. "And then there's my height. I was younger, much younger than I am now. It's only natural that, with my height and slender build, I didn't really fit among the tall, muscular warriors. Mistaking me for a woman in man's clothing, especially from a distance, would be quite possible."

* * *

The Battousai turned around slowly to find the source of the voice, indignation and anger seething in his stomach. _Men's clothes! I am no woman! I am the Battousai, a legendary assassin!_

A young woman with stylishly cut, short black hair carried a hefty basket which, judging from the delicious smell, seemed to be filled with fresh dumplings. She knelt to place the box on the ground and hurried to his side, presumably to give him a lecture on the evils of cross-dressing.

"What makes you think that it's appropriate to go out in public like that?" The young woman demanded, hands on her hips. "Girl, let me give you some advice. Do you want...to be mistaken for...a..."

Her voice faltered as the Battousai's deep, violent amber eyes rose to meet hers. For the first time, she took in his blood-covered hands, his tattered clothes, and the sword at his hip.

"Oh," she stammered, "Forgive me! I...I...ah, I'm...I'm so sorry! I didn't mean...I didn't mean to..."

He knew that he could dispose of her in an instant. Yet, if he did so, the police would recognize the marks of his sword and know that he had been here.

* * *

"Hey!" Kaoru cut in. "The only reason why you didn't kill a defenseless girl was because you knew you would be caught if you did?"

Kenshin looked down, as if in shame. "I'm sorry... I had been taught nothing else. Kill or be killed. Even though I was trying to create a new era with my sword, I didn't pause to consider the lives of innocents when I was younger. I saw them as sacrifices for the greater good."

"Well, it's a good thing you changed." Kaoru huffed. "I don't think I would have liked the old you at all."

* * *

"It's all right," the Battousai said curtly to the embarrassed girl. It wasn't his usual style to show mercy, especially for such a direct affront to his dignity, but he had no choice.

"Who are you?" She asked curiously.

The Battousai remained silent, scanning the streets for policemen.

"Trying to be mysterious, I see," she observed, an edge of sarcasm tinging her voice. "Whatever. Well then, have it your way. I'm Cho."

The Battousai's mind flew through his options with a cold, efficient brutality. His options of escape were limited, no matter where he ran, and he hardly had the time to stand and converse with this girl. He needed to disappear, and fast.

"You're hurt! I won't have you running away so you can get into more trouble." She frowned at him sternly. "I don't know what you've been doing, but you can't stay on your feet for long like that. Come with me. We're going to get help. Besides, I have dumplings, and maybe, if you behave, I'll let you have some."

The Battousai's eyes widened in surprise as she boldly seized his hand, picked up the basket, and began walking briskly down the street.


	3. The Battousai, Cute and Adorable

**The Battousai, Cute and Adorable**

* * *

Had that woman just told him, a deadly assassin, that if he was _good_ he could have _dumplings_?

And _after_ mistaking him for a cross-dressing woman and almost giving him a lecture about it?

And _after _noticing the fact that his hands were stained with blood and he carried a sword?

Either she was incredibly brave, or very, very stupid.

"Wait," the Battousai said, struggling with his amazement as he followed after Cho through the streets, their footsteps pounding on the dusky cobblestone. He had been treated with utmost respect, as a deadly killer, for his entire life - and now this girl seemed to regard him as if he was nothing but a silly boy who had gotten into trouble! "Where are we going?"

"I know someone who might be able to help you," Cho returned cheerfully, not deigning to turn back. "She's waiting, actually, at the place where I'm going now. Isn't that convenient?"

"Is this person a medic, by any chance?" Pain seared his chest once more, and he was reminded of his weakness. The Battousai tried to suppress his hope, knowing that it was never a good idea to rely on the goodwill of others. If there was anything that life had taught him, it was that trust would always be futile.

"Uh..." Cho seemed uncomfortable, but she walked with more purpose than ever. "Uh, well, she's going to be."

* * *

"Going to be a medic?" Kaoru repeated. "And what is she right now, then?"

"You get three guesses, and the first two don't count," a slight smile played across Kenshin's mouth, and he shrugged. "Considering I ended up at a brothel..."

"Oh," Kaoru blinked.

* * *

"Why are your clothes so ragged and torn? And why do you have a huge gash in your chest? When did you get it?" Cho asked brightly.

_The better question is, how can you be so chipper when talking about that?_

"I accidentally stabbed myself with a knife."

Confused silence.

Perhaps he should stay away from making jokes.

The Battousai briefly considered running away, but where would he go? Besides, he had to admit that he was curious. If worst came to worst, he would waste no time in disappearing.

"We're here!" Cho announced, stopping before a fairly large stone-walled house. She knocked on the door urgently.

"Ah, Cho!" Another petite young woman, with elfin features and light brown hair tied in a low bun, opened the door. "Got those dumplings? The girls are getting hungry."

"Yep! I made them myself, specially for Sayuri!" Cho proudly held out the basket, which the other girl accepted gratefully. "And also, Naomi," Cho continued, gesturing to the Battousai standing awkwardly about a meter behind her, "I also have a mysterious, handsome stranger with battle wounds!"

_She's crazy_, the Battousai decided. _One moment I'm an odd girl who needs advice, the next moment a mysterious, handsome stranger. _

Naomi took a step back upon seeing him. "Cho, what are you thinking?" She demanded in a fierce whisper. "He's obviously a danger to us! Get away as fast as you can!"

"Naomi-"

"Cho, I appreciate you bringing us dumplings, but don't you see that he's a swordsman who could probably kill us all if he wanted to?"

_Truer than you think_, the Battousai said inwardly as he watched them, a small smirk curling his lip.

"I might have accidentally called him a woman," Cho said under her breath. "That might have been a mistake..."

"How could you _do_ something like that? You're lucky you haven't been killed!"

"Please!" Cho clasped her hands together, pleading for forgiveness.

"Does he _want _help_?" _Naomi demanded. "Did he _ask_ you for help?"

"Uh..."

"If you're a doctor, I would appreciate your aid," the Battousai said in that smooth, low tone that came so easily. He ignored the sharp, metallic taste of blood that had risen to his mouth and the recurring waves of pain from the wound on his chest. "If not, then I'll be on my way."_  
_

Naomi looked conflicted, and then motioned for Cho to lean in closer. Her voice was meant to be quiet, but the Battousai's owl-like hearing picked it up instantly. "Cho, I'm not a fully trained doctor yet," she said softly. "Besides, the girls begged to throw a party tonight for Sayuri's birthday, and in these hard times...well, I can't deprive them of that happiness. Looking after him is the last thing I need to do tonight."

"He really needs your help. Please! I'll even stay and help if you want! Besides, isn't he adorable?"

The Battousai's hand crept towards the hilt of his sword. _Adorable_? How could she call a lethal assassin like him _adorable_? If that happened just _one more time_...

"Cho, I told you, that man looks dangerous. Look at the bloodstains on his clothes!" Naomi whispered.

"Dangerous? Naomi, please! Can't someone be adorable _and_ dangerous?"

"I suppose he is fairly attractive, in a cute sort of way," Naomi admitted under her breath to herself, seemingly softening. The Battousai hardly heard the compliment, his mind instead fastening on the word _cute_. How _dare_ she?

* * *

"Kenshin, why didn't she just help you?" Kaoru asked, feeling frustrated. "You were losing blood, and it was clear that you really needed medical attention, wasn't it?"

"I can understand her reluctance," Kenshin replied. "Imagine yourself in her place. You'd worked for such a long time to be able to take a break from prostitution and throw a party for your friend. Suddenly, a bloodied stranger shows up at your front door and ruins the one night that you've planned for such a long time. Besides, it's another responsibility that you're not sure you want to take."

"Well, I would definitely have helped you," Kaoru declared. "Even if you were a cold-blooded killer. It would be the right thing to do."

* * *

Against his will, the Battousai swayed on his feet. He had been taught to suppress weakness, and the thought of being this weak mortified him to no end. Despite his fervent attempts to remain as still as possible, the world seemed to tilt against his balance, and he turned to the side to cough out gobs of blood.

"Internal bleeding," Naomi said suddenly. "He needs immediate attention, or he might die. Not like I want to be responsible for that. Fine, Cho. I'll treat his wounds, and then he can go so we can have our birthday party. Quick, we need to get him inside," she ordered, with impressive authority despite her small stature.

Another girl appeared behind Naomi, and then another. "Who's this? Why is he coughing up blood? That's not good, is it?"

Naomi sighed. "He's been injured." She said, as if that explained everything. "Help him inside, and wait for a moment while I find my bandages and supplies." She disappeared behind the door.

"You heard her!" Cho shouted loudly, clapping her hands. "Come on!"

"I can walk by myself, thank you," the Battousai scowled, and he painfully limped through the doorway. Immediately, he heard the flurry of conversation from several girls. Each was dressed in bright, ornamented clothes with an elaborate hairstyle. Five of the girls were sitting at a table, two apparently drawing something on fluttery paper with a paintbrush - _caligraphy_, the Battousai realized - and the others were carefully arranging flowers in a vase. About ten more were talking excitedly as they sat on black cushions scattered about the main room, which was decorated with dark red curtains and furniture as well as additional delicate flower arrangements. Three hallways branched off from the room, leading straight ahead, left, and right.

"What is this place?"

The conversations immediately stopped, and they all regarded him with bright, curious eyes.

"Ah...um..."

"...well..."

"You don't know?"

"Apparently not."

"But then why is he here?"

"You guys, we should just tell him," a girl spoke up. "He's obviously clueless. We're oiran.* This is a brothel. You didn't know?"

_As if this couldn't get any more awkward. _

"Uh..."

* * *

"So they didn't try to interest you in their...ah...services?" Kaoru asked curiously.

"No. As strange as it seems, I think they were all ready to throw a party and take a break from it all," Kenshin shrugged. "No one _likes_ working like that for a living, and some of them were rather upset at my presence."

* * *

"Hey! Wasn't this supposed to be our night off?" A freckled, red-haired girl demanded, standing up indignantly. "What's _he_ doing here? Didn't we have an agreement that we'd throw a party for Sayuri? Seriously, guys."_  
_

"It's okay, I don't mind. We can celebrate my birthday later," a girl with a tanned complexion and dark brown hair said shyly.

Naomi reappeared, holding a medical case complete with equipment and clean bandages.

"Naomi!" The red-haired girl exclaimed. "Tell me what's going on!"

The Battousai, meanwhile, had been barely listening, too preoccupied with making sure his legs didn't buckle under him. Gratefully, he collapsed on one of the cushions and tried to steady his breathing.

"No, Reika, we do not have a new client," Naomi said quietly, and the red-headed girl sat down again. "No one called him here. We have someone who needs our help." She strode over to the Battousai, who felt as if her gaze had chilled his skin. "But before we help you, we need to know who you are. It's not every day that you see someone like this."

The Battousai considered the dangers involved.

Best to take his chances now.

* * *

"So you actually _told_ them who you were?" Kaoru whispered. "Wasn't that dangerous?"

"Very," Kenshin admitted. "It was a high-risk gamble. I figured that if I didn't tell them, when the police arrived and explained that they were looking for a deadly assassin, one of the girls might figure out that I had lied and expose my true identity. If I told them and was abruptly shoved onto the streets...well, things would look grim, but hopefully that wouldn't happen. If I did tell them and they didn't kick me out, I would have a greater chance of surviving."

"I see."

"It was one of the few times that I revealed my identity to anyone I met without killing them, let alone a group of people."

* * *

He took a moment to pull himself together.

"I am an assassin," the Battousai began, his gaze sweeping across the group of shocked girls. "The deadliest of my kind."

* * *

***[A/N]** In that time period, oiran were similar to geisha except that they also worked as prostitutes as well as being entertainers (hence the flower-arranging and calligraphy). Naomi and the rest are oiran. Did I get most of this from Wikipedia? Maybe. But I did try to be somewhat historically accurate.

The Battousai might be embarrassed now, but he has no idea what's coming ;)

Hope you enjoyed!


	4. The Battousai, Wearing a Kimono

**[A/N]** Exactly what the title says. Don't forget the crowd of giggling girls. And it's not like he _knows_ how to put it on, either. Poor Kenshin...

**The Battousai, Wearing A Kimono**

* * *

A deadly silence hung in the air. The Battousai, feeling a strange nervousness whirl in his stomach, stayed silent. For some reason, as he had explained his story to these girls, he could not bring himself to stop, and somehow against his better judgment he had talked, on and on.

And they had listened, the shock gradually wearing off.

But this silence...

He slumped where he sat, too weary to feel any emotion besides a dull anxiety and the burning pain across his chest. If nothing else, he would sit here, in this chair, to rest awhile and then...and rest some more.

All of the girls were watching Naomi, as if her response was the deciding factor - and Naomi's gaze snapped to his.

"Well, at least you're honest," she said, matter-of-factly. "And if you have even a shred of common sense, you'll know that laying a finger on any of us is likely to result in your doom. You're on the run. You're wounded. And you desperately need to hide."

With a rational calm, she nodded. "Besides, you're on the side of the revolutionaries. Even if you've killed, I do agree that what you're doing needs to be done. " A murmur of agreement surfaced at her words.

"We can't just sit around talking!" Cho said out of nowhere, waving her arms frantically. "I thought you said you'd treat his wounds! He's about to die and you all made him tell you a ten-minute-long story! What kind of people are you, anyway?"

"Cautious people, Cho," Naomi answered.

* * *

"So they helped you," Kaoru sighed, feeling relieved. "Oh, thank goodness. I was getting rather worried!"

"Within ten minutes, Naomi had cleaned and bandaged the worst of my wounds. She also managed to stop the flow of bleeding on my chest. Some of the girls helped her, although most of them started eating the dumplings." Seeing Kaoru's indignant look, Kenshin added, "Don't worry, they gave me some too."

"Naomi sounds like a very good medic," Kaoru said thoughtfully. "So she was working as a prostitute - um, an oiran - and training to be a doctor?"

Kenshin's expression darkened. "I believe it was so."

* * *

"I've always wanted to be a doctor," Naomi said, bitterness tinging her tone as she wrapped a bandage around the Battousai's upper arm. "You're the one of the first actual patients I've treated_._"

The Battousai considered her words, but said nothing.

"But I'm going to be a doctor," Naomi said proudly, all despair disappearing. "I'm going to finish studying, quit prostitution, and help support us all as best as I can!"

The Battousai waited, but it seemed that Naomi was done talking as she finished tying the bandage.

Suddenly, a soft object hit him over the head forcefully, knocking his breath out of him for a moment. "Hey!" Reika, the red-head, exclaimed from behind him, tossing a pillow from hand to hand. "At least say something! Don't just sit there!"

"Yeah! That's so rude!"

"He needed to say something like, 'Oh, that sounds great!' and not just listen!"

"Have you guys forgotten that this is a dangerous assassin who killed _at least_ hundreds of experienced fighters?" Sayuri asked timidly.

Immediately, all the girls hushed, and the Battousai regarded them coolly. _That's more like it_, he thought self-assuredly, his confidence returning.

"If the police arrive, how are we going to hide him?" Naomi mused, ignoring the Battousai and Reika.

"We could stuff him into a closet somewhere," Reika suggested. "I'm sure they wouldn't find him."

The Battousai bristled at the thought of being trapped in a dark closet, but luckily Cho wasted no time in cutting that idea short. "No way!" She folded her arms. "We have to come up with something else."

"We don't have any secret trapdoors, if anyone's asking," Naomi added.

"Oh!" Cho said happily. "I know what we can do! When the police arrive, we can disguise him as a girl!"

The Battousai remained frozen at the mere mention of pretending to be a girl - for his pride had already been wounded enough - but Cho leaned over and yanked at his hair tie. "See?" She said proudly as his crimson hair, long and slightly wavy, settled lightly on his back. "I know we could pull it off!"

"I think we could do it..."

"With the right kimono..."

"And maybe even a ribbon for his hair..."

"Yeah!"

"I think we should do it!"

"Great idea!"

The Battousai looked from one girl to the next, hardly comprehending what had just happened.

"Oro?" The Battousai yelped as at least half of the girls pounced on him, wielding hair combs, ribbons, and other objects of death. The word escaped naturally from the Battousai's lips in his confused state, even though he had never uttered it before.

* * *

"You said it! Oro!" Kaoru clapped her hands, suddenly filled with joy. "You weren't completely cold-blooded. So you had a bit of Kenshin in you even then!"

"That was the first time I ever said 'oro,' actually," Kenshin smiled. "I had no idea that it would later become a habit. It's only natural when a group of girls pounces on you, intending to make you look like one of them. The experience was very alarming."

* * *

"Wait!" Cho's voice rang out, and she stood in front of him, arms outstretched as if to protect. "Before we make him look like a girl, he has to _dress_ like a girl. Any of you have an extra kimono? Preferably something red, or pink?"

"Yes! Right here!" A petite girl dug into her bag and pulled out folds of cloth. _Magenta_, the Battousai realized with a dawning horror.

The Battousai groaned, shaking his head. "Firstly, did I ever consent to this? I believe that's a _no._ Secondly, I am a _proper_ swordsman, not a cross-dresser. Thirdly, that kimono is an _awful_ color that clashes with my hair."

"I advise you do as Cho has suggested," Naomi said calmly, although she couldn't hide the amusement plain on her face. "It seems that you are in a desperate situation, and desperate situations call for desperate measures."

"I will not," the Battousai said grimly, desperate to evade girlification. "I changed my mind. I'm going to fight the police if they arrive. I can take it. Thank you for your help, though."

"There's a high probability you'll collapse from exhaustion," Naomi said in a tight, scolding tone. "And you'll start coughing up blood again. Don't even think about it. You may be the best assassin that ever existed, but you've already worn yourself out and you're in no condition to battle the rest of the police force."

The Battousai grimaced, looking around wildly as if for means of escape. "Then I'll just leave."

"I don't think you'd get very far in that gi and hakama," Sayuri said in a small voice. "All that blood and dirt on what's left of your clothes will give you away in an instant."

The Battousai did not try to hide his disapproval, but with a displeased glare at them all, he grudgingly grabbed the pink kimono and stalked towards the nearest room in one of the hallways.

But there were so many different pieces of the kimono! Once he had safely gotten out of their sight, the Battousai held one cloth, then the other, in bewilderment. What was he supposed to do now with these random dozen pieces of cloth? All the girls made it seem so easy, and he'd _thought_ he knew how to put on a kimono... how hard could it be? It simply involved wrapping this cloth _here _over his shoulder, and tying this around his waist, and...oh, great. Nevermind.

It was only after a good five minutes had passed that he realized the truth: he had absolutely _no_ idea how to put on a kimono.

The girls burst into a flurry of giggles as they heard a stream of furious curses and the cry,

"HOW DO YOU PUT ON THIS DAMN THING?"

* * *

"They made you wear a kimono!" Kaoru said, struggling to hide her laughter. "Oh, Kenshin!"

"I don't think I would have survived otherwise," Kenshin said, a warm feeling spreading through him with the knowledge that he had made Kaoru laugh. "But I do remember that one of the girls said something specific when I walked out wearing that kimono. What was it..."

* * *

"I think I just lost all of my self confidence as a girl," one of them whispered, but the Battousai couldn't be sure if she was being facetious or not.

"He'd fool anyone," Cho murmured, and for a moment the group simply stared.

"EXCUSE ME!" The Battousai growled, clutching at his outfit which was already threatening to fall to the floor at his feet. He felt humiliated, and, on a rare occasion, his face burned red. Master swordsman or no, he was never going to live this down. "A bit of help here!"

"It seems you couldn't find the proper place to tie the obijime," Naomi observed, a trace of mockery in her tone. "That goes around your waist. Not on your shoulders, in the least. Would you like some help?"

"Poor thing!" Cho added, stepping forward to offer guidance and ignoring the Battousai's murderous look. "We shouldn't have expected him to know. Don't worry, I'll help you!" She pursued her lips. "At least you weren't too far off!" With some quick adjustments, Cho straightened and retied the necessary accessories, studying him with a critical eye as she proceeded.

"There," she stood back, folding her arms. "Naomi, what do you think?"

"Charming," Naomi said, with a ghost of a smile. "It seems that the kimono has managed to cover all of the bloodied bandages."

_Just as well_, the Battousai said to himself. _There's no way I can fight in this stupid outfit. The first chance I get, I'm out of here and back to being a deadly manslayer._

Naomi's demeanor suddenly became businesslike. "What about your sword?"

"I hid it," the Battousai answered, grateful for some normal conversation that distracted him from the precarious status of his masculinity. He had cleaned his sword as best as he could, then hidden it in a closet and shoved his bloodied clothes under a loose floorboard. Wait, what would happen if they found the-

Just then, the door resounded with a rapid series of knocks. Naomi, sensing danger, quickly stuffed her materials in the case and rose with the medical supplies to hide them.

"Open up!" A gruff voice called from outside. "Open up right now!"


	5. The Battousai, In Plain Sight

[A/N] I'm sorry for the short chapter...but I just had to end it on a cliffhanger, and besides the next chapter should be out more quickly.

**The Battousai, In Plain Sight**

* * *

"Open up!" The voice called more loudly. All of the girls stood, frozen, save Naomi who bustled back in without her medical suitcase, and Cho, who leapt next to the Battousai with an elegant lily to place in his hair.

"NO!" The Battousai growled, sounding very masculine.

"You'll give yourself away in a heartbeat!" Cho hissed, placing the lily in her own hair. "Fine, then. Let me do the talking, and _do not,_ under any circumstances, say _anything_, understand?"

"I'm going to open the door," Naomi said, her authoritative gaze landing on everyone. "Sit down on the cushions. Behave naturally." Within five seconds, everyone had obeyed. With steady hands, she undid the latch and pulled the door open.

"Hello," the Battousai heard Naomi say calmly. "How may I help you?"

"Step aside!" A policeman ordered, roughly pushing Naomi to the side and striding in. Four more followed behind him. A hard anger flashed in Naomi's eyes, but she somehow maintained her unflappable demeanor.

_I could take them_, the Battousai thought. _They wouldn't be a problem for me. But what about afterwards, when I'm on the run? I've lost enough blood that fighting another army would be suicide. Besides, I'll evade suspicion much longer if I remain as a girl... As embarrassing as it is._

"You four take those corridors, I'll question these," the leader of the officers ordered his subordinates, and then faced the group. "Did any of you see a swordsman walking by? Long red hair in a high ponytail, golden eyes, lean and muscular but small in stature? He would be injured with cuts and blood all over his body."

"No, I don't think so," Reika said. "Who's he?"

"Battousai the manslayer, an assassin who has killed hundreds of high-ranking government officials and thousands of their bodyguards," the policeman said, his tone in itself a warning. "He cannot be trusted. He'd sooner kill you than talk to you."

The Battousai noticed a couple of the girls exchange suspicious glances. _No_, he thought firmly. _If I'm captured here, without my sword, dressed as a girl, I'd be an embarrassment of an assassin. Man card revoked permanently. I'd be the shining example of what-not-to-do-when-you-are-on-the-run, the poster boy of failure WHO ALSO HAPPENS TO WEAR A KIMONO. Embarrassment of the century. _

_It cannot end this way.__  
_

* * *

"They'd better not have said anything!" Kaoru said, although her tone was more worried than furious. Despite Kenshin's humorous, quirky way of telling the story, she couldn't help but feel frightened for him. "What did you do?"

Kenshin smiled. "Well, Miss Kaoru, there wasn't much I could have done but sit and wait."

"Keep going, I want to know what happens next!"

* * *

"What are you doing now?" The officer demanded.

"Usually this is a brothel," Naomi answered evenly. "We're oiran, and we usually entertain our guests here. Today, we took a night off work to celebrate Sayuri's birthday."

The police officer inspected each of them in turn, declining to respond to her answer.

"You, there." The Battousai tried to keep his expression soft and sweet and his gaze fixed on the floor, feigning shyness. Over the policeman's shoulder, Cho smirked.

"What's your name?" The officer asked. A flurry of curses ran on the tip of the Battousai's tongue, but thankfully he managed to remain silent.

"Oh, uh, her name is...uh, Bat...um, Baku." Cho said quickly, bounding to his side. _Nice save, Cho_, the Battousai thought. "She doesn't speak much."

"And why is that?"

"She's shy! You're scaring her!" Cho said, putting an arm around the Battousai and patting him on the head fondly with the other hand. Inwardly, the Battousai wanted to rip something to pieces, fight a duel, do something, anything, to reassert his manliness.

"Odd for a prostitute." The officer muttered. "I thought for a moment...because of the hair color..." the officer hesitated, and then shrugged. "Huh. Don't know what I was thinking. All right, then."

The Battousai's fingers itched for his sword, for some form of protection after that close call. Why had he, so stupidly, hidden his sword away? If they found it, he would be defenseless!

"No threats here." The officer said finally. "Move on to the next house. Be warned, girls. We know that the Battousai is in this area, and other units are searching the houses nearby as we speak. You should be safe if you remain indoors here. Understand?"

* * *

"Did they stay much longer?" Kaoru asked anxiously. "Is that it? Did they question you?"

"It wasn't over," Kenshin shook his head. "That it wasn't."

"Well, you passed the test, didn't you?" Kaoru queried. "They thought you belonged with the rest of the oiran, and didn't they say there were no threats there? What else could possibly have happened?"

* * *

"I found something, sir!" An officer called, striding to the main room. "Look!" In his hands rested an elegant sword still in its sheath.

The Battousai could not breathe, and the air that he had been about to exhale sat frozen in his chest.

"Ah." The officer strode over and picked up the sword. "I do not know if this is the Battousai's...but it could be." He murmured under his breath. "Certainly a suspicious object to find in a so-called brothel. Where did you find it?"

"In a closet, sir. As if someone had tried to hide it."


	6. The Battousai's Sword

**The Battousai's Sword, Inconveniently There **

The Battousai could feel the girls' intense, exasperated glares seething into his back. Cho bit her lip, sending him a disapproving glance, and Naomi gave an almost imperceptible sigh. The silence deepened as the leader of the officers hefted the weapon in his hands.

"Search the entire room where you found this thoroughly," he commanded, and one of his subordinates hurried to obey. The Battousai's mind immediately leapt to the bloody gi and hakama he had hidden beneath the loose floorboard, and his mouth went dry.

"Excuse me," a timid voice volunteered, "but I think that might be...um..."

Everyone, the Battousai included, turned to stare at the source of the voice in shock. Sayuri nervously twirled a lock of hair around her finger, but she kept talking. "The truth is, it's my client's. He might have forgotten it here."

_Of course_, the Battousai thought. _As long as we say it's from a client,__ we'll be fine. That sounds like a plausible story to me. But what about the-_

"Oh, naturally," Cho interjected before anyone else could speak as she nodded ferociously. "People forget things, you know. It happens."

"Who was this..._client_?" The officer asked, eyes narrowed with clear suspicion.

"Um, he told me his name was Haru, but I might be wrong," Sayuri shrugged.

"It might even be an alias," Naomi said evenly. "We don't demand full names in exchange for service."

"Yes, now to think of it, I think I saw that the man called Haru left without his sword," Reika nodded at Sayuri in confirmation.

The Battousai watched, amazed, as each girl quickly added on to the lie by reading subtle cues dropped by the others. He wouldn't have thought of such a solution - when difficulties arose, he simply killed everyone there and left. But there was something fascinating in the way that these girls lied with such conviction and ease, even Sayuri, the shyest among them. Perhaps he could learn something from these oiran.

* * *

"Perhaps you could learn something? Like adding lying to your arsenal of tools for dealing with sticky situations? Don't tell me you started lying from then on!" Kaoru laughed, twirling a leaf in her fingers. "Just because they could cover up for something with a lie didn't mean that you would necessarily be good at it!"

"I was never very good at lying, Miss Kaoru," Kenshin admitted, "just because I had no need for it. After that tale, I tried to tell a lie exactly twice, both with disastrous results. And after that, I made a point of never telling a lie again if I could help it. I can tell you that story later, if you'd like."

"I think you should finish this one first, Kenshin."

"Very well, Miss Kaoru. Back to the story."

* * *

"Do you think he'll return?" One of the officers asked, referring to Haru, the fictitious character they had created.

"Maybe he will," Sayuri said, seeming almost hopeful as she shyly reached out for the sword and lightly removed it from the policeman's hold. "He's come several times before. But maybe something happened before he could retrieve it, or maybe he forgot. I guess we should keep it safe here for him."

"No," one of the policemen said firmly, "I think that _we_ should take-"

"Oh, but we can't let you do that!" Reika folded her arms stoutly. "Haru is a valued client who visits us often! And, if he comes back only to find out that we let the police take his sword, he'll be very angry and he'll never visit again!"

"I'm afraid that we cannot-" the officer began, but Naomi cut in coolly.

"I do hope you understand that reputation is vital to our business," she said pointedly. "Our reputation is built on positive word-of-mouth, and the consequences of this - especially such an atrocious crime as failing to protect the possessions of people who have visited us - would erase not just Haru from our list of clients, but many others."

Any relief the Battousai had been feeling suddenly evaporated as a sharp voice interrupted the conversation. "I searched the room thoroughly," the fourth policeman announced, "and I found this."

A bloodied gi and hakama were in his hands. Men's clothes. A sword in Sayuri's hands. Most likely the Battousai's.

Silence.

Sayuri's arms trembled as she held the Battousai's sword. Cho bit her lip in thought, her usual exuberant energy directed inward. Naomi shot the Battousai a look that spoke of disbelief at his idiocy, and Reika rolled her eyes. If the Battousai had felt embarrassed before, it was nothing compared to the intensity of his shame due to the _you-are-an-idiot_ gazes burning into his back.

"Where?"

"Hidden under a floorboard," was the curt answer. "The blood is fresh - the clothes have been put there recently."

"If anyone knows anything - _anything - _about this situation, speak now." Although he spoke with an ominous tone, a note of fear had crept into his demeanor. "Are you hiding the Battousai? Has he taken refuge here? Speak, and you will be rewarded."

A moment passed in which the girls exchanged hesitant, stolen glances, as if daring each other to respond. The Battousai shifted nervously, trying to persuade himself that it would be a bad idea to leap up, grab his katana, and promptly behead the four. How else could he escape? The game was almost over. The sword had been found, and although the girls had managed to spin a convincing tale for the time being, how could they explain _this_ away?

"We found clothes," one of the policemen said, evidently puzzling over the matter. "Men's clothes, hidden within the last couple of hours, covered in blood. We know that the Battousai was wounded. There's a possibility that he stopped here, regained his strength and changed out of his bloodied clothes to evade suspicion, and then continued." An ominous pause. "That would make all of you liars. But why leave his sword? Unless he's..." He was given no chance to continue, however, as Cho effectively cut him off and all eyes turned to her.

"I..." Cho began, her voice faltering, "I...um...I have something to say." Almost guiltily, she bit her lip and cast a pleading look at the other girls.

"Talk." The leader of the officers demanded.

"Cho-" Sayuri began, her hands clasped together, but Cho shook her head resolutely. She looked up with a steady, earnest gaze.

"No. This has gone too far. It's time I told the truth."

Surely she wouldn't expose him for what he was? How would that confession go? - something like _the Battousai is actually that red-haired girl standing in the corner? and haha, we made him wear a kimono? _The Battousai tensed, as if to run, but there was no way he could have anticipated what came next.

* * *

"Here I was, thinking Cho was on your side!" Kaoru exclaimed. "Why did she suddenly decide to give you away?"

"I never said she gave me away," Kenshin answered, lightly shifting his grip on the fishing rod.

"Even so, what could she possibly have said to persuade the policemen that this had nothing to do with the Battousai? One of them was already halfway to figuring it out!"

"Nothing to do with the Battousai?" Kenshin repeated. "No, Cho was too clever for that. This had _everything_ to do with him."

* * *

"The truth is," Cho took a deep breath, "We've been hiding something from you all along."


	7. The Battousai, Narrowly Escaped

[A/N] Yes, I finally managed to finish this story!

**The Battousai, Narrowly Escaped**

"Kenshin?" Kaoru said hesitantly.

"What is it, Miss Kaoru?"

"Well, I just wanted to say...weren't you...a seasoned killer? Wouldn't anyone else have, um, solved the problem by just killing them?" Her gaze dropped, as if she was ashamed of bringing up the topic.

"Just because I was good at killing didn't mean I had to kill _everybody_," Kenshin smiled. "Besides, these policemen were just doing their job. They weren't evil, corrupt power-hungry demons - at least, I hope they weren't. They were just normal people, and not part of an assignment."

Kaoru nodded. "Oh. That's good."

"Besides," Kenshin added, "I don't think Naomi would ever have forgiven me had I gotten blood all over her tasteful interior decorating."

* * *

Having little hope for Cho's scheme, the Battousai caught Naomi's eye and made a slight nod at the sword, clearly asking a question with his eyes: _kill them?_

Naomi immediately shot him a fierce look that said, _don't you dare._

Guessing that her reaction had something to do with the difficulty of getting bloodstains out of the carpet, the Battousai shrugged and turned his attention back to Cho. Besides, he was somewhat interested to see how she would talk her way out of this.

"I'm really sorry-" Cho said hesitantly, "but, well, the thing is that Haru stopped by _tonight_. Well, more like staggered by. He was in terrible shape - almost mortally wounded - and since he's such a good client we _had_ to help him. He told us that it turned out that he'd been mistaken for the Battousai and gotten almost killed before the guard that had attacked him realized-" she took a deep breath "-that he didn't exactly match the description."

"Right," Reika chirped, instantly picking up on Cho's plan. "It was absolutely _terrible_ to see him like that."

"Anyway," Cho continued, "he didn't want to attract attention when he was walking home. You know, he might even have been attacked again-"

"So a guard attacked him, mistaking him for the killer?"

"Yes. I'm afraid that particular guard was rather stupid to do so-"

"How closely does he match the description of the Battousai?"

"You said he had red hair, right? Haru's definitely not red-haired," Cho shrugged apologetically, "but my guess is that Haru was running, in a hurry to get back to his home, and he was carrying a sword, too. It was dusk, and perhaps the guard must have thought that the mysterious figure running in the shadows resembled the Battousai."

"I see. When was this?"

"About half an hour before you arrived," Naomi cut in. "I'm quite sorry to say that we thought it would be quite suspicious for us to be found with a bloodied sword and clothes, but now that we have no choice but to tell the full truth, I assure you that we were merely trying to help a client of ours who desperately needed it."

A contemplative silence among the officers weighed in the air as they considered Cho's story. It was unnervingly close to the truth, the Battousai decided, and that was why it might work.

"You know, I really admire what the police have been doing, looking for that merciless killer," Sayuri said, her eyes cast at the floor shyly. "Someone needs to catch him before he kills us all."

Her words seemed to bring a sense of urgency to the room, subtly prompting the four policemen to leave and continue their search. One of them shifted his weight towards the door, evidently questioning the lengthy amount of time they were spending here. The leader of the officers seemed to remember that the assassin himself was likely escaping even as they spoke.

"I agree wholeheartedly," Cho nodded, a firm determination glinting in her eyes. "We have to catch him before he gets away. If he kills all the men, our business will be ruined!"

The leading officer cleared his throat, but Naomi didn't let him speak. "Thank you for your kindness and understanding," Naomi said politely, stepping towards the door. "And now, we apologize, but we really must get to celebrating Sayuri's birthday. The poor dear has been waiting much too long for a girls' night with her friends."

"We understand," an officer said gruffly, seeming disappointed that this conversation hadn't yielded any useful information. "We need to continue looking for the assassin, then."

Naomi didn't wait any longer to usher them out the door. With smiles and nods, she continued repeating stock phrases such as 'thank you ever so much' and 'perhaps you should continue your search elsewhere.' Once she had safely said goodbye and watched the four disappear down the street, presumably to meet with the rest and discuss how to corner the Battousai, Naomi closed the door and turned around, clearly having something to say.

Her hands were planted firmly on her hips as she demanded, "Okay. So, whose _brilliant_ idea was it to hide the sword in a closet?"

As giggles rose among the oiran, the Battousai grudgingly raised a hand.

"You might be a lethal assassin," Naomi commented, an eyebrow raised, "but you have almost _no_ common sense."

"That's the _last_ place you'd ever hide anything," Reika added. "First place people look is in the closet! They didn't even really suspect us, you know, and they were just routinely checking the place. Anyone who's pretending to be searching for something will at least open a closet if they don't do anything else. What were you even thinking?"

"It's all right, maybe he just didn't have time," Sayuri shrugged meekly, but a slight hint of sarcasm laced her speech. "But I suppose it's only slightly better than laying all the incriminating evidence on a floor in the open, right?"

"Thank you for your help!" The Battousai barked suddenly. "All right, maybe I shouldn't have hidden the katana in the closet. Thank you all. I will be on my way now."

"You don't want to stay for the dumplings?" Cho teased with a cheerful wink. "And besides, you should wait for at least couple of hours before you go. You might as well help us celebrate Sayuri's birthday, now that you've so rudely interrupted it."

* * *

"So you stayed?" Kaoru smiled. "I can just imagine it. I'm glad you got to have fun."

"I was definitely hungry." Kenshin chuckled lightly. "And those were pretty good dumplings."

"Did they tease you at all?"

"Well, Cho couldn't stop saying things about how lovely I looked in a feminine kimono and bragging about her superior story-telling skills had saved the day. Naomi thought I was one of the stupidest people she'd ever had the fortune to meet because I hid the sword in the closet. But most of the girls treated me like one of their own - which I'm not sure was a good thing."

* * *

The dumplings, despite the Battousai's initial objections to staying for a little longer, were almost worth the fiasco he'd endured. A couple of minutes of silence followed in which everyone forgot about talking and enjoyed the food.

The silence didn't last long, however.

"You sure eat a lot," Cho remarked, with a pointed glance at the Battousai's plate.

"He's a deadly assassin, as much as we might joke around," Naomi said, with a slight incline of her head. "He must maintain his strength, so consuming large amounts of food is necessary for him. But I'm wondering less about his eating habits and more about how long he has been in this business. How old are you, Battousai?"

The Battousai fidgeted uncomfortably. "Fifteen."

Immediately, a flurry of giggles and joking comments commenced. "Aw, he's younger than I am!" - "No wonder he still looks like a girl!" - "Only fifteen and he's an assassin already?"

The Battousai looked around, puzzled. Shouldn't they be impressed? Didn't that faze them at all, that he'd reached such a high level of mastery at only fifteen? Then again, these girls seemed to treat him like an adorable pet no matter what he did.

"And how long have you been an assassin?" Naomi asked, her gaze steady and clear.

"Ever since I was twelve. It's been three years," the Battousai shook his head, thinking. "It's been a while."

"I hope you'll get a break from killing people," Cho added, between mouthfuls of dumplings. "I'm sure it gets very depressing to see hundreds of people die."

"It's not depressing at all," the Battousai said quietly, but with conviction. "I'm working towards a better future. These people are the necessary sacrifices."

"What if _you're_ the necessary sacrifice?" Sayuri said, with uncharacteristic boldness, "to save the lives of hundreds you might end up killing?"

"Someone must take on the name of an assassin, to do what I do," the Battousai said, suddenly feeling not hungry anymore. "I must take on this burden for the greater good. These people must be killed to save countless other innocents. And, to be honest, I've killed for so long that I don't know what I'd do if I stopped."

"But don't you think it's evil, to take the lives of others?" Reika asked.

The Battousai hesitated. "It's not evil if it must be done," he said finally. "I don't like killing people. But someone has to do it, and I'm the only one who can."

"Okay!" Cho said abruptly, disliking the direction of the conversation. "Let's talk about something else, shall we? So, who thinks that this assassin would look amazing with some flowers in his hair?"

* * *

"Luckily, no one seemed to think that Cho's idea was a good one," Kenshin remembered. "But that conversation made me start thinking. I eventually would realize the truth about myself; I was a murderer, and the countless people who I had killed...well, some of them deserved to die. But most of them didn't."

Kaoru watched him silently as he spoke, her brow creased. For once, she didn't interrupt.

"And when it came time to leave, that question - was it right, what I was doing? - grew in the back of my mind."

Kaoru was silent for a moment before she spoke again. "So, did you leave right after eating?"

"Yes."

"Dressed...um, like that?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

* * *

"If you're ever in need of some skillful flower-arranging, or even just a group of friends to eat dumplings with, you are welcome to stop by," Naomi said, a light joking evident in her tone.

"But be sure to come dressed like one of us! And put in a hair ribbon this time too!" Cho laughed, patting the Battousai on the head as if he were a puppy. He flinched, stepping away, but Cho wrapped her arms around him for a quick hug. The Battousai thought _that_ was an uncalled-for invasion of personal space.

"I'm glad you brought him here, Cho," Sayuri said quietly, nodding at the other girl.

"Of course," Cho winked. "Definitely added a little excitement to our lives."

"Good luck, Battousai!" Reika smiled. "I'm sure you can find a better place to hide your katana should you ever need to!"

"Right," the Battousai muttered.

"Here's a box you can hide the sword in," Naomi said, handing him a box large enough to hold his sword. The Battousai opened it, and his eyes widened with surprise. "I put some normal groceries inside," Naomi's eyes lit up with amusement, "so you shouldn't attract any attention when you're walking through the streets. Besides, it also has extra dumplings if you get hungry."

"Thank you," the Battousai said, suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude as he hefted the box in his hands, standing on the doorstep. He paused, trying to accustom himself to the restriction of movement in this new outfit. He had become used to darting through the shadows, but walking in plain sight might prove even more effective.

"Goodbye," Naomi said quietly, as he began walking away at a pace much slower than his usual sprint. "Good luck with your journey."

"Bye!" Cho called with an energetic wave. "You know, we loved having you! Stop by sometime, okay?"

"Bye," Sayuri added, her voice barely audible above the clamoring of the rest of the girls.

The Battousai turned around, a genuine smile lighting his face even though he knew he would never see them again. "Farewell."

Naomi smiled, and the door latched shut. The Battousai, wearing a magenta kimono and carrying a large box, slowly strode through the now-darkened streets on his way home.

**Fin**


End file.
